Amazon upped the ante in its fierce rivalry with Apple over control of the digital music market, with the introduction of a Cloud Drive digital locker and a Cloud Player service that offers streaming music via the Web and Android devices.

The Seattle, Wash.-based online retail giant unveiled the new cloud services late Monday. The services are available for U.S. customers only.

Our customers have told us they dont want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices, Bill Carr, Amazons vice president of movies and music at Amazon, said in a statement. Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.

The Amazon Cloud Drive service offers customers 5GB of free online storage, with premium accounts expandable up to 1000GB. Additionally, customers who purchase an MP3 album will be entitled to 20GB of storage for one year. New Amazon MP3 store purchases can be automatically added to Cloud Drive without counting toward total storage space.

The service accepts music purchased from iTunes, provided that the files are DRM-free. Apple removed DRM from iTunes music purchases in 2009.

Amazon Cloud Player is available either via the Web or on devices running Google's Android mobile operating system. The web player does not, however, support Apple's Mobile Safari on iOS devices.

Amazon's partnership with Google Android reflects an uneasy alliance against Apple, which established an early lead in the digital music and smartphone markets. Last week, the online retailer launched "Appstore for Android," a digital download service that will compete with both Apple's App Store and Google's Marketplace. A day before Amazon launched the service, Apple sued Amazon to protect its "App Store" trademark.

Google is also rumored to be working on its own digital song locker and music store service.

For its part, Apple has expressed interest in moving toward a streaming media solution, but has reportedly been held up in negotiations with record labels. In late 2009, the company purchased streaming music service LaLa, stoking speculation that Apple was preparing for iTunes in the cloud. An Apple-branded version of LaLa failed to materialize and the Cupertino, Calif., iPod maker shuttered the service in May 2010.

Apple transitioned the Apple TV to a streaming model last year when it introduced a $99 redesigned version of the set top box. The device launched alongside a new $.99 TV show rental option.

Recent rumors have suggested that a "major revamp" of Apple's iOS slated for this fall will add significant cloud-based services.

Apple has been busy putting the infrastructure into place for cloud services, investing more than $1 billion in a 500,000 square-foot data center that will support iTunes and MobileMe services. The server farm has experienced delays, however, and is expected to open this spring.

They somehow seem to think that by agreeing to streaming music terms with another Apple competitor it will loosen Apple's "stranglehold" on their industry. It worked so well for them offering DRM free music once before...

What they have done is ensure that the whatever-million number of iOS users can't give them any money

How happy are the artists they "represent" with this decision?

Frankly, I don't care for streaming. All I want to be able to do is to access my music like I can access my Apps. If it's not on my device when I leave home, I can simply download it again as I have already paid for it

They somehow seem to think that by agreeing to streaming music terms with another Apple competitor it will loosen Apple's "stranglehold" on their industry. It worked so well for them offering DRM free music once before...

What they have done is ensure that the whatever-million number of iOS users can't give them any money

How happy are the artists they "represent" with this decision?

Frankly, I don't care for streaming. All I want to be able to do is to access my music like I can access my Apps. If it's not on my device when I leave home, I can simply download it again as I have already paid for it

You don't suppose Apple could have exactly the same deal but wants to pay less?

It uses the amazonMP3 application with Android, which is also amazon's music storefront. Somehow I doubt Apple would approve an app from Amazon that allowed them to download music to iOS devices without going through itunes.

I wonder if there is an iOS version in the works (it takes a little time for apps to be approved for the appstore) or will Apple block this as songs are bought from Amazon rather than using Apple's in-app purchase system?

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You don't suppose Apple could have exactly the same deal but wants to pay less?

Maybe. But I think Apple have shown that they have created an infrastructure that has enabled their hardware customers to have a simple to use model to create a culture where people are willing to pay for content. Prior to this model, file sharing was increasing it's "market share".

This has created an economy of scale that has reaped dividends for both producers and consumers. Ask quality App developers.

I would guess that Apple has been arguing for the same rights to music content as Apps.

I wonder if there is an iOS version in the works (it takes a little time for apps to be approved for the appstore) or will Apple block this as songs are bought from Amazon rather than using Apple's in-app purchase system?

But can you really see Amazon giving Apple 30% of each song purchase? When you buy a song from iTunes I believe that Apple gets a lot less than 30%. Amazon probably received a similar deal from the record companies so Amazon cannot give Apple a 30% cut without making a loss on each sale (or having to raise the price significantly).

I've been playing with this for about 10 minutes and my first impression is that multiple account households are going to have a tough time with this. The uploading software doesn't allow you to switch accounts- you have to launch the uploader from the different account in a browser to change accounts. But once you've put content in the cloud... well I haven't gotten that far yet.

Apple have been sitting on their asses with lala, the nc data center and mobileme. Amidst rumors of free mm and retraction of mm retail boxes, we are paying a pretty hefty sum for a very limited service. Amidst rumors of a data center, we are still getting pretty mediocre performance from mm. Amidst rumors of a cloud music service we still have to swap songs/audiobooks/podcasts/movies in our ipads because there's no damn space to put them there. Not even some provision of cloud storage for the media we buy via itunes.

Anyone who likes apple, has to see this as their biggest blind spot, they are leading everywhere else and trailing pathetically in the cloud domain.

They better get moving, because it's not just that the comp is catching up here, it's leaving them behind, and they are marring the whole ecosystem by being very hesitant, very lackluster, and very unproductive in anything to do with the cloud.

Apple have been sitting on their asses with lala, the nc data center and mobileme. Amidst rumors of free mm and retraction of mm retail boxes, we are paying a pretty hefty sum for a very limited service. Amidst rumors of a data center, we are still getting pretty mediocre performance from mm. Amidst rumors of a cloud music service we still have to swap songs/audiobooks/podcasts/movies in our ipads because there's no damn space to put them there. Not even some provision of cloud storage for the media we buy via itunes.

Anyone who likes apple, has to see this as their biggest blind spot, they are leading everywhere else and trailing pathetically in the cloud domain.

They better get moving, because it's not just that the comp is catching up here, it's leaving them behind, and they are marring the whole ecosystem by being very hesitant, very lackluster, and very unproductive in anything to do with the cloud.

A real shame.

I agree with you... however I think we will (finally!) see the fruits of Apple's labour very soon... next month I would imagine we'll see the revamped MobileMe service with cloud storage and music streaming etc.

They somehow seem to think that by agreeing to streaming music terms with another Apple competitor it will loosen Apple's "stranglehold" on their industry. It worked so well for them offering DRM free music once before...

What they have done is ensure that the whatever-million number of iOS users can't give them any money

How happy are the artists they "represent" with this decision?

Frankly, I don't care for streaming. All I want to be able to do is to access my music like I can access my Apps. If it's not on my device when I leave home, I can simply download it again as I have already paid for it

Every Android user I know just steals their music using one of the many apps available to do this for Android.

If they were interested in PAYING for music, apps, etc - they probably wouldn't get an Android phone.

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NO THANK YOU

You don't think Apple will have something very similar? It's there to stop end-users abusing the system. Uploading illegal content and sharing the links with others and streaming non-stop 24/7. If you are using the system "normally" then you won't run into any trouble.

Apple have been sitting on their asses with lala, the nc data center and mobileme. Amidst rumors of free mm and retraction of mm retail boxes, we are paying a pretty hefty sum for a very limited service. Amidst rumors of a data center, we are still getting pretty mediocre performance from mm. Amidst rumors of a cloud music service we still have to swap songs/audiobooks/podcasts/movies in our ipads because there's no damn space to put them there. Not even some provision of cloud storage for the media we buy via itunes.

Anyone who likes apple, has to see this as their biggest blind spot, they are leading everywhere else and trailing pathetically in the cloud domain.

They better get moving, because it's not just that the comp is catching up here, it's leaving them behind, and they are marring the whole ecosystem by being very hesitant, very lackluster, and very unproductive in anything to do with the cloud.

A real shame.

The shame is all on you, due to your ignorance. You seem to have this fantasy in your head that Apple is missing an opportunity and thus squandering their purchases and IP.

Thanks for reminding me how very rare it is for consumers to understand Apple's businesses.

I agree with you... however I think we will (finally!) see the fruits of Apple's labour very soon... next month I would imagine we'll see the revamped MobileMe service with cloud storage and music streaming etc.

I sure hope so, and I also hope the fix some very annoying kinks for mm too, I can't fathom how in this day and age by virtue of keeping a file open (a word file say) I should get constant nagging sync errors because said file is on idisk (with a local copy of idisk btw...), and that's just one of a number of mm annoyances. To be fair mm has fixed a few issues over time, but a seamless experience it ain't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

The shame is all on your, due to your ignorance. You seem to have this fantasy in your head that Apple is missing an opportunity and thus squandering their purchases and IP.

Thanks for reminding me how very rare it is for consumers to understand Apple's businesses.

You are welcome, it's good to see someone admitting to their mistakes, glad I could remind you how you fail to get apple's strategy. As for my ignorance, next time, you might want to claim it with some semblance of arguments, because lack of arguments and big proclamations about others make for very embarrassing posts.

The Seattle, Wash.-based online retail giant unveiled the new cloud services late Monday. The services are available for U.S. customers only.

Damn you Amazon, why can't you let Apple announce it first..

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Our customers have told us they dont want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices, Bill Carr, Amazons vice president of movies and music at Amazon, said in a statement. Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.

5.2 Our Right to Access Your Files. You give us the right to access, retain, use and disclose your account information and Your Files: to provide you with technical support and address technical issues; to investigate compliance with the terms of this Agreement, enforce the terms of this Agreement and protect the Service and its users from fraud or security threats; or as we determine is necessary to provide the Service or comply with applicable law.

5.3 Security. We do not guarantee that Your Files will not be subject to misappropriation, loss or damage and we will not be liable if they are. Youre responsible for maintaining appropriate security, protection and backup of Your Files.

5.4 Limits, Changes and Cancellation. Service Plans are subject to storage capacity limits. If you exceed your storage limit, restrictions will be placed on your use of the Service until you either remove enough of Your Files to come within your storage limit or upgrade Your Service Plan to a plan with enough storage capacity. We reserve the right to impose other limits on use of the Service. We may also restrict your access to the Service if we determine that your use of the Service violates this Agreement or substantially exceeds normal use by other users. Improper or excessive use may also result in termination of your use of the Service. We may change the Service, or any part of it, or end the Service, or any part of it, either temporarily or permanently, at any time, with or without prior notice to you. We will not be liable for any damage or loss (including any loss of data or profits) or any other consequences that you may incur as a result of any restrictions on your use of the Service or your inability to access and use the Service.

Apple have been sitting on their asses with lala, the nc data center and mobileme. Amidst rumors of free mm and retraction of mm retail boxes, we are paying a pretty hefty sum for a very limited service. Amidst rumors of a data center, we are still getting pretty mediocre performance from mm. Amidst rumors of a cloud music service we still have to swap songs/audiobooks/podcasts/movies in our ipads because there's no damn space to put them there. Not even some provision of cloud storage for the media we buy via itunes.

Anyone who likes apple, has to see this as their biggest blind spot, they are leading everywhere else and trailing pathetically in the cloud domain.

They better get moving, because it's not just that the comp is catching up here, it's leaving them behind, and they are marring the whole ecosystem by being very hesitant, very lackluster, and very unproductive in anything to do with the cloud.

A real shame.

Don't get this wrong, I don't disagree with you or anything.. But I'd rather wait until Apple iron out all the kinks in their service and really prepare it for their users rather than send it through the door half baked, and it would be more worth the wait if Apple's similar cloud service will be available not just in the US. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why Amazon rushed to announce their cloud service, just to beat Apple in time.

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5.3 Security. We do not guarantee that Your Files will not be subject to misappropriation, loss or damage and we will not be liable if they are. Youre responsible for maintaining appropriate security, protection and backup of Your Files.

5.4 Limits, Changes and Cancellation. Service Plans are subject to storage capacity limits. If you exceed your storage limit, restrictions will be placed on your use of the Service until you either remove enough of Your Files to come within your storage limit or upgrade Your Service Plan to a plan with enough storage capacity. We reserve the right to impose other limits on use of the Service. We may also restrict your access to the Service if we determine that your use of the Service violates this Agreement or substantially exceeds normal use by other users. Improper or excessive use may also result in termination of your use of the Service. We may change the Service, or any part of it, or end the Service, or any part of it, either temporarily or permanently, at any time, with or without prior notice to you. We will not be liable for any damage or loss (including any loss of data or profits) or any other consequences that you may incur as a result of any restrictions on your use of the Service or your inability to access and use the Service.

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It uses the amazonMP3 application with Android, which is also amazon's music storefront. Somehow I doubt Apple would approve an app from Amazon that allowed them to download music to iOS devices without going through itunes.

Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why Amazon rushed to announce their cloud service, just to beat Apple in time.

BINGO!

Has Eric Schmidt left the building yet?

[Edit] Yes I know Eric works at Google, and this is an Amazon announcement. But it does happen to work with Android, Amazon have just opened up an Android Appstore, and there is speculation of an Amazon Android Tablet, and Google's "OPEN" OS has suddenly "CLOSED"

Don't get this wrong, I don't disagree with you or anything.. But I'd rather wait until Apple iron out all the kinks in their service and really prepare it for their users rather than send it through the door half baked, and it would be more worth the wait if Apple's similar cloud service will be available not just in the US. Perhaps this is one of the main reasons why Amazon rushed to announce their cloud service, just to beat Apple in time.

I am with with this, that's why I like apple, because they do take their time, they are very meticulous and when they do release something it' usually either great or pretty darn good. Having said that, that's not been the case with mm, and if google, can do it, and dropbox can do it (with files) and every other dime a dozen other cos can do it, apple should be able to do it better. I am just ringing a bell here, because I see most other domains within apple growing and flourishing but their cloud integration (and for that matter their home sharing system) is still if not worse off than the competition then unremarkably along the same lines with the competition.

So I am saying essentially to them, because I know for a fact apple folk read ai more than any other fora on apple, get a move on, make it happen, it's been a long time in the making and because our technological needs have become far more complex and nuanced, it's also terribly lacking the current state of affairs wrt apple and their cloud services. If some people need to take the boot like ex mm head did, then do it, because clearly this isn't a domain where apple is leading. Surely as you say, and I concur, it's also a matter of calculated moves not vapourware and half arsed ware (I ll copyright this ), but it's pretty evident to me that the people in charge of the cloud aspect of apple's services are doing worse than other sections of apple, much worse. And like I said, when you end up pretty much sacking your head of mm, that's kind of an admission that it's an area where things are shaky.

I want them to be bold with their new cloud ideas, to be innovative as usual, and to offer much needed services that will untie our hands. No. 1 priority for me should be a service (a paid one too if need be) where a considerable amount of storage will be allocated to each user so they can seamlessly share their itunes libraries on the cloud, without half measures such as home sharing, and syncing ipads, and then ipods, and then iphones, hell how many devices to we have to stick a cable to and from our computers to be able to manage our itunes libraries? And then you have multiple computers, family computers, etc. etc. An ample cloud space to centralize your itunes lib (or at least some universal compact version of it) is very, very much needed.

Because as is, amazon offers 20gbs pretty much for free, and 1tb paid, and all you can get from mm is 40gbs max of storage, shared between mail as well...pretty pathetic.

um... I'm not about to read the entire agreements of this BS.. but given what the OP outlined, and what you outlined.. I think you missed the real takeaway... apple clearly outlines reasonable expectations while protecting themselves.

Amazon is basically saying they don;t even secure anything and if it gets stolen by hackers it isn't on them along with having a metric.. that any user that actually uses their services more than an average will get booted... pfft!

[Edit] Yes I know Eric works at Google, and this is an Amazon announcement. But it does happen to work with Android, Amazon have just opened up an Android Appstore, and there is speculation of an Amazon Android Tablet, and Google's "OPEN" OS has suddenly "CLOSED"

It looks, smells, waddles and pees like a duck...

Schmidt is a c... (you fill the blancs), and he is considered so by most people who follow tech new or are in the biz, and of course he is a clown too, what with the open oses that close all of a sudden, his blatant disrespect for privacy and numerous other issues...having said that he is soon to be a c... with amazon's huge servers for storage backing him, and as you say a pretty obvious alliance with amazon, all of which should serve the odious google very, very well.

Guys, have you forgotten that Amazon is playing catch up and well behind by many miles in digital music services? Even if Amazon beat Apple by few weeks in cloud offering it would not matter. Once in a while Apple has to let the competition show their cards so that they can perfectly plot their strategy and come out the winner.

[Edit] Yes I know Eric works at Google, and this is an Amazon announcement. But it does happen to work with Android, Amazon have just opened up an Android Appstore, and there is speculation of an Amazon Android Tablet, and Google's "OPEN" OS has suddenly "CLOSED"

It looks, smells, waddles and pees like a duck...

Quote:

Originally Posted by myapplelove

Schmidt is a c... (you fill the blancs), and he is considered so by most people who follow tech new or are in the biz, and of course he is a clown too, what with the open oses that close all of a sudden, his blatant disrespect for privacy and numerous other issues...having said that he is soon to be a c... with amazon's huge servers for storage backing him, and as you say a pretty obvious alliance with amazon, all of which should serve the odious google very, very well.

Wow, you guys seriously hate Google right now aren't you..?

PS: Amazon Android-based tablet/Kindle? Jeff Bezos might already considered it for his next Kindle.

I am with with this, that's why I like apple, because they do take their time, they are very meticulous and when they do release something it' usually either great or pretty darn good.

I want them to be bold with their new cloud ideas, to be innovative as usual, and to offer much needed services that will untie our hands.

So let's have faith in Apple then, after all the Cupertino-based company is currently trying to open its North Carolina data centre as soon as possible, it's said to be one of the largest data centres in the world so let's hope Apple is up to something really cool..

But I really-really hope Apple will someday make MobileMe as a free cloud service..

Quote:

Originally Posted by myapplelove

it's also a matter of calculated moves not vapourware and half arsed ware (I ll copyright this )

Guys, have you forgotten that Amazon is playing catch up and well behind by many miles in digital music services? Even if Amazon beat Apple by few weeks in cloud offering it would not matter. Once in a while Apple has to let the competition show their cards so that they can perfectly plot their strategy and come out the winner.

Yeah, but Amazon stole the thunder from Apple..

Apple has been successfully took our feet off the ground with its recent keynotes and products, I was really hoping that Apple would have been the first to pioneer this could-based service.. Now the credit will go to Amazon, damn you Amazon..

If its in the US only then Apple has nothing to worry about, especially if its a streaming service. Spotify is currently one of the big dogs in music streaming right now, its available in the majority of Europe and has only just now gotten to 1million users, and its available on iOS devices. iTunes can sit pretty with its crown on for a very long time to come.

I just don't think this - or any similar offering from Apple - is going to work out for a few years.

It would be great to be able to stream your music collection on the move and avoid the need for large capacity phones, but the infrastructure just isn't there with the phone networks.

I can barely listen to a low-quality internet radio station on the way to work without it continually buffering every few minutes, so I don't fancy entrusting my MP3 collection into the cloud.

This sort of service is probably the future, but to be honest I think we're still 5 years away from it being a realistic proposition. Given how poor the coverage of 3G still is outside of urban areas, you'd have to hope that the introduction of 4G networks is a lot more widespread for any cloud based mobile services to take off.